Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress occurs in poorly perfused tissues and activates the p53 isoform p53/47 to promote G2 arrest via 14-3-3σ. This contrasts with the p21(CDKN1A)-dependent G1 arrest caused by p53 following DNA damage. It is not known how cells respond to conditions when both pathways are activated. Here we show that p53/47 prevents p53-induced p21 transcription during ER stress and that both isoforms repress p21 mRNA translation. This prevents p21 from promoting COP1-mediated 14-3-3σ degradation and leads to G2 arrest. DNA damage does not result in p53-dependent induction of p21 during ER stress and instead results in an increase in p53-induced apoptosis. This illustrates how p53 isoforms target an intrinsic balance between the G1 and G2 checkpoints for cell cycle coordination and demonstrates an ER stress-dependent p53 pathway that suppresses p21 and lowers the apoptotic threshold to genotoxic drugs.
